Latest Articles
The Fracking Song
A rap music video about hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, is quickly becoming a viral hit on YouTube. The song, produced by Studio 20 NYU and ProPublica.org, was recently named to Time Magazine’s list of most creative videos of 2011 and was also highlighted by Msnbc’s Rachel Maddow. The purpose of the video was to publicize the dangers of drilling for natural gas, also [...]
Olive Oil’s Health Benefits
Not only does olive oil supply an enjoyable flavor, but it also provides a number of health benefits when consumed. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, was the first to recognize these health and therapeutic advantages, and for centuries more and more studies have been done and discoveries been made about this Mediterranean food staple. Recent [...]
The Legend of John Muir
John Muir called himself a “poetico-trampo-geologist-bot” and it’s likely to remain the best description of preservation’s most popular poster child. He was a Kerouac or McCandless, with a scholarly command kept in check by his whimsical humor and self-prescribed duty to share the wilderness with the world. And of equal marvel, his beard remains a silent [...]
Solyndra and the Failure of a $535 Million Federal Loan
Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General searched Solyndra’s headquarters in Fremont, California early last month. After receiving a 535 million dollar loan from the federal government in 2009 and filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy in August, the investigation will likely raise concerns about federal loan guarantee programs, and whether or not government officials and [...]
Article Archive
The Environmental Impacts of Flooding and How to Protect Against Them
Throughout the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the country, communities are dealing with the many ramifications of flooding caused by Irene and exacerbated by Lee. As my family attempts to drain a basement that seems likely to be inundated with more water at the next hint of rain, I began to wonder about the environmental [...]
‘Occupy Wall Street’ Protest Heads Into a Two-Week Stance
Today is Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011 and the 13th day of “Occupy Wall Street.” Little has been reported by mainstream media about “Occupy Wall Street” because of varied excuses. Some cite the lack of a unified message on the part of the protestors as the reason, another, that the protest is drawing small numbers, and [...]
Interview with a Beekeeper
This is an interview with Sarah Worley who is a hobby beekeeper in California. She keeps hives at her farm and at another location near her. Follow her beekeeping and farming adventures at www.beewenchfarm.com or www.beewench.blogspot.com How did you become interested in beekeeping? I got interested in beekeeping about 4 years ago after seeing an article about [...]
Environmental Literacy in Maryland and Beyond
In June of this year, Maryland became the first state to mandate “environmental literacy” as a requirement for graduation from high school. Many states, including Maryland, had previously outlined standards for environmental education (EE) curriculum, but the graduation requirement recently imposed is a step forward from that. Maryland’s environmental literacy requirement will dictate that every [...]
Herbs for Healing
For centuries before modern medicine, herbs were used for treating ailments across the globe. Shamans, medicine women and holy men prescribed various herbs to their tribes for many years before the establishment of doctors and nurses. In some cases, herbs were just as successful as modern pharmaceuticals. In today’s society, herbs are often misunderstood and even [...]
